Show was awesome in every way. PNCBAC is pretty non-descript (I've been there a bunch of times through the years), but it was fine for this show. Got to meet Sid Wilson, Chris Fehn, and Corey Taylor at the Meet & Greet. All were cool...it's not like you have time to swap life stories, but they all say hello to you, BS with you for about a 1/2 minute or so (they want to be able to see and talk to everyone, to their credit), then sign anything you want and take a few pics with you. It's funny, as cool as it is to meet them, it actually takes away a little from their mystique. I've always known Corey was on the shorter side (he's only 5' 7"), but it's funny when someone like me towers over him.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I've always enjoyed slipknot but I'm just not as a fan out outdoor shows, I like to be in the crowd and singing along up front so just standing or sitting in a seat or being on that lawn isn't for me.

PNC is just like every one of those other venues like it, Camden, Jones beach, all the same basically. I haven't been in 10 years but I never had an issue when I use to go. Starland ballroom is my favorite venue in the area here.

I've always enjoyed slipknot but I'm just not as a fan out outdoor shows, I like to be in the crowd and singing along up front so just standing or sitting in a seat or being on that lawn isn't for me.

PNC is just like every one of those other venues like it, Camden, Jones beach, all the same basically. I haven't been in 10 years but I never had an issue when I use to go. Starland ballroom is my favorite venue in the area here.

How was Max Weinbergs kid on drums? Lol its still weird to say that

I was about 7 rows back...so we were close. I used to be all about the "general admission, spend my time either in the pit or as close as to the band as possible" experience, but now that I'm 45 and that too many people don't know what they're doing in mosh pits (throwing elbows and looking to hurt people), I'm OK with standing in my seat (and EVERYONE was standing when Slipknot was on stage, the whole time). I've now seen Slipknot twice, back in May in North Carolina and on August 5, and my only regret is not having seen them on earlier tours. The only other metal band that I've ever seen that matches their energy and intensity song-for-song is mid 80s-early 90s Metallica. With that era Metallica, they approached every song like it was their finale.

Yeah, PNC is pretty cookie cutter...there's another venue like it up in Massachusetts...as a birthday present to my wife some years ago, I took her up there to see Maroon 5 and Train. I'm not a huge fan of Maroon 5 (like a few songs), and I appreciate Train for their ability to reproduce their studio sound without issue. Pat Monahan probably nails his vocals in 2-3 takes, tops...I really appreciate vocalists who can actually sing without Autotune and other studio and production assistance.

It's really funny...a lot of the reason Bruce Springsteen hired Max was because Max wasn't all that great...Bruce basically told him "I'm looking for someone to complement the band, not be Ginger Baker [of Cream fame], be more of a background player." Max apparently said (more or less) "I'm that guy." He actually admitted that Ringo Starr (not known for being flashy, fast or overwhelmingly talented) was his idol.

Jay is very very good...he fits the Slipknot sound very well...he's about 95% of what Joey Jordison was, which is plenty good enough. Lars Ulrich, a drummer who really isn't very good (and a lot of people caught on to that many years ago, especially fellow drummers like myself...sometimes he plays like he has absolutely no feel) had this blurb to say when asked about his lack of drumming skill, and mentioned Joey specifically (from 2008):

You've had a lot of flak over the years from people who accuse you of being a poor drummer. Does that ever trouble you?

It hasn't bothered me for about 15 years. I'm no Joey Jordison, I'm no Mike Portnoy, and I have nothing but love and respect and admiration for all those guys. When I hear some of the young dudes, they blow my mind with what they can do with their feet and stuff - but it's not something that makes me go, 'I need to feel better about myself so I'm gonna learn how to do what they do with my feet'. I'm not a particularly accomplished drummer but I am very, very, very good at understanding the role of the drums next to James Hetfield's rhythm guitar. I guarantee you I'm the best guy in the world for that, and that's enough for me!

Not sure how familiar you are with Metallica's back catalog, but there's a song at the end of ...And Justice for All called "Dyer's Eve". It has a lot of double bass in it, during the verses. Lars has admitted that recording that song was very frustrating, that it took him a long time to get it right...they even stopped trying to get a take after a while, did a lot of other stuff, then went back to it, when he finally was able to lay it down. But it's the kind of track that guys like Joey, Jay, and others could do almost blindfolded. It's funny, if Lars was a baseball player (and he was actually trying to make it as a tennis player, which is why he moved to America as a teenager), he'd be that .260ish hitter than wasn't a great fielder, but did just enough to have a 15+ year career. He's that guy who is the "you don't have to be the best to make it" story.

Jay is definitely in that class of "young, technical, insanely precise and capable of superhuman speeds" drummers. Max must look at him and say "How the HELL does he do all of that?"

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

In regards to outdoor venues, I am with SH. Outdoors venues just suck in general. Have to worry about the weather and the sound is never good. The only two outdoor shows I have been to where the sound reached the acceptable level was Roger Waters at Yankee Stadium during the Wall Tour and Genesis at Giants Stadium back in 2007.

I particularly hate PNC Bank Arts center. Ever since Live Nation took over in the late 90's and did those renovations that place goes further and further downhill. Narrow paths inside leads to bottlenecks that make the old Meadowlands Cattlewalk seem roomy and the facilities, especially the bathrooms, desperately need updating. Also would it hurt for them to shut down the lawn seating for 1 season? It's no longer a lawn but instead a dirt patch. They need to give that area a rest for a season and give it a chance to grow back. Also the seats suck, the staircases up and down are narrow as could be and again I have never heard a show there where the sound was acceptable.

At this point I actually have no problems paying a little more and traveling further if a band I want to see is playing at an indoor venue nearby.